Humanistic Language Learning Materials

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Humanistic Language Learning Materials
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I like myself even when

• Purpose
• This activity lets students experience loving
  them- selves unconditionally by distinguishing
  between (1) who they are and (2) what they do or
  have.
• In this activity, they acknowledge themselves for
  all the things they like about themselves. Then
  they consider what they dont like and find ways
  to accept themselves anyway.
• Materials
• Art paper (12 x 18 inches) Colored markers or
  crayons Paste or glue.
• Procedure
• Students bring a personal photograph to class.
• A story about personal value is read to the
  students by the teacher.
• Students are each given a piece of art paper and
  asked to glue the photo in the center of the
  paper.
• The following instructions are dictated to the
  students by partners (pair work, students
  sitting back-to-back), or are already printed on
  the paper

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I like myself even when

• Next to your picture, write or draw (in a color
  you like) one thing about yourself that you like,
  or are proud of. Think of your appearance, your
  talents, your person-ality, etc.
• Turn the paper over.
• Using a color you dont like, write or draw one
  thing you dont like about yourself.
• Turn the paper back to the first side.
• Using a color you like, write or draw another
  thing you like about yourself.
• Turn the paper over.
• Using a color you dont like, write or draw one
  thing you dont like about yourself.
• Continue to write or draw things about yourself
  that you like and dont like.
• When you have finished, turn the paper over to
  the dont like side.
• Using a color you like, write I love myself even
  when above every thing you dont like about
  yourself.

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I like myself even when

• Ask students to form groups and to discusstheir
  pictures, explaining the things they like and
  the things they dont like.
• Hang the pictures on the wall, with the positive
  side showing, or let students take them home.
• ---------------
• Adapted from Educating the Heart, Siccone
  López (2000, pp. 344 35)

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A Good Thing

• Purpose
• Three effective stress reduction techn-iques are
  taught in this lesson relaxation, stop
  thought, and the transformation of negative
  messages into positive ones.
• These techniques can reduce or eliminate stress
  before it impedes language learning.

Lets share our thoughts. Lets be quiet. Only
quiet. Quiet. Breathe in. Breathe out. Listen to
the teacher Close your eyes
The teacher will ask you to think of something
GOOD that happened to you today. The teacher
will tell you about something GOOD that happened
to him/her today.
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A Good Thing

• Procedure
• Students practice relaxation (box 1).
• The teacher explains the stop thought
  technique.
• When negative thoughts begin, imagine a stop
  sign, or say stop! to yourself. Then take some
  deep breaths from your stomach. Hold your breath
  for a moment or two and exhale slowly, softly
  and steadily. At the same time, tell your body
  to go limp or melt.
• The teacher asks students to suggest negative
  thoughts, such as Im going to fail the test.
  The teacher asks theclass to use stop-thought
  and deep-breathing techniqueswith several
  different thoughts.
• The teacher asks students to change negative
  thoughts into positive ones
• Instead of saying Im going to fail the test,
  say I will pass the test.
• The teacher talks about something good that
  happened today.
• Adapted from Finch Hyun (2000, p. 162) and
  Siccone López (2000, pp. 42 43)

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Thats What Friends Are For
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Highlights of My Life

• Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and
  listen to the teacher.
• When the teacher has stopped talking, ask
  your-self What have I accomplished in my life so
  far? In the first row of film frames, draw
  three important events in your life up to now.
• Ask yourself What do I want to accomplish in
  the next five years? In the second row of film
  frames, draw three events you hope to
  exper-ience in the next five years.
• Ask yourself What do I want to accomplish in
  five years after that? In the third row of film
  frames, draw three events you hope to
  exper-ience in the next five years.
• Share your filmstrips with your partners or
  support groups.

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Highlights of My Life
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I Cant/Havent Yet

• Find a partner.
• Take turns making sentences that are true for
  you, beginning with the words I cant Think
  about school life, social life, and home life.
• E.g. I cant swim. I cant do math. I cant drive
  a car. I cant make many friends.
• Repeat all the sentences, using I havent yet
  
• How does it feel? Is it any different?
• What does I cant really mean?

• Purpose
• This activity helps students to realize how
  language affects their perceptions, and how
  they can use responsible statements to empower
  themselves.
• Adapted from Siccone López (2000, pp. 164
  165)

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Share the Wealth

• Your class has received a 500 donation from a
  wealthy member of the community.
• Your group must decide on how to spend that
  money, from the options listed below.
• You have 20 minutes to decide, or the money will
  be given to another class.
• The group must agree 100 on the choice.
• During this activity, practice effective
  listening skills
• S Be Still be Silent
• H Hear what others are saying Hear what they
  mean.
• A Allow others to speak. Accept what they say as
  true for them. Pay Attention.
• R Restate what you heard the other person say,
  to be sure you understand.
• E Encourage others to speak.

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Share the Wealth

• Options
• Divide the money equally among all the class
  members.
• Use the money to pay for a field trip for a
  class project.
• Give the money to the Education Department for
  more educational resources.
• Use the money to buy toys for local poor
  children and orphans.
• Donate the money to an organization that
  provides meals for beggars.
• Use the money to buy blankets and give them to
  homeless people.
• Use the money to set up a recycling program to
  help save the environment.
• Use the money to set up a scholarship for poor
  students.
• Spend the money on a fun party for the class.

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Share the Wealth
Purpose This activity emphasizes the importance
of working together, learning to cooperate
rather than compete. Students learn to
communicate better, especially to listen to each
others view-points, if they learn to trust each
other and to solve problems together. In this
way, ignorance can be replaced with knowledge,
insecurity with confidence, and fear with love.
Adapted from Siccone López (2000, pp. 191
194)
Click on the links below to view and download
Kindness posters from randomactsofkindness.org.
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If we are to reach peace,
then we must teach peace. (McCarthy, 2001, p. 35)

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